Today is an anticipated public holiday announced by our new PM to celebrate a new government. The eldest SIL treated all of us to a sumptuous lunch before her flight back to HK the next day and then to the UK.
SIL gave Sherilyn the liberty to choose a restaurant of her choice and she chose Tamaruya Honten Teppanyaki at The Gardens Mall. The restaurant is within Isetan.
Tamaruya Malaysia Sdn Bhd is operated by an established brand, Wasabi Tamaruya Honten Japan which has a long history in Shizuoka, Japan.
Our starters:
Toasted foccacia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.Tamaruya Platter ~ consists of Tamaruya style pie tee and filo prawns with our choice of dipping @ RM36.Mushroom soup (RM20) and Tamaruya seafood chowder soup (RM24).Tebasaki platter ~ consists of fried drummets and wings coated with Japanese dark sauce served with wasabi creamy sauce @ RM29
On the teppan selection:
Sherilyn and I both ordered Teppan Barramundi fillet served with mashed potato and teppan assorted shrooms @ RM54.
Alycia, hubs and his aunt each ordered teppan beef. I didn’t take note of which is what but they ordered pure Angus ribeye (RM129) and sirloin steak.
After our hearty meal that costs almost RM1k, the girls went Christmas shopping with their koo ma — for Nike shoes! Each of them got a pair of Nike shoes that costs more than my most expensive Nike shoes ever. Lucky girls. Wish I had someone to splurge on me too 😜
Cass and I spent our Sunday today at Pavillion Bukit Jalil again. While she went for figure skating class, I had lunch alone at Sushi Zanmai.
After lunch, I sauntered around the mall aimlessly, with nothing in mind to buy. Most of my purchases are now made online, which are cheaper. I recently started shopping for clothes online at Shein and am now hooked 😬. Shein is a reputable fast fashion company based in China and is the world’s largest fashion retailer. I received my first order of clothes from Shein last week, was very pleased with the quality and have just made another order yesterday 😊
When I go shopping at the mall now, I can’t help but compare the prices of clothes, shoes and bags with Shein’s and other online shopping platforms which I usually shop at. The price difference is often vast, which is why I hardly buy from a physical shopping mall anymore, except for shoes. I am very finicky with my shoes as I want to try them on and make sure that they’re comfortable and fit my feet well before purchasing.
After Cass’ class was over, we ambled around the mall’s Centre Court (where the Spanish Steps and the Golden Rooster are). Pavilion Bukit Jalil has launched an exciting Disney-themed festive celebration titled “From Our Family To Yours” until 26 December 2022. There will be ample of photo opportunities for visitors with all the Disney-themed displays inspired by the enchanting worlds of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.
Cass was so excited when she found out that Malaysia’s Olympic figure skater Julian Yee will be performing at the Festive Ice Skating Show at the Blue Ice Snow Park on Christmas Eve at 2.30pm followed by a meet-and-greet at 3pm. If we’re in KL on 24th December and have nothing to do, we’ll bring her to meet the awe-inspiring Julian Yee.
My delightful low-carb lunch of grilled Teriyaki saba and chuka wakame salad. My refreshing avocado + banana smoothie from JUICY, Korea’s no.1 juice brand
After a week of being cooped up at home battling Covid, the four Coviders are now negative and well again 💪.
I’m so happy that my sense of taste and smell have slowly returned. Though not 100% functional yet, I am still happy that I could partially smell and taste my food. I was so relieved when I could taste the Portugese egg tarts and Unagi rice that the eldest SIL bought for us yesterday.
I went for my first brisk walk in 12 days this morning. I walked to the shops to get roast chicken, while I got to soak in the glorious morning sun.
I hope Alycia, hubs and Haru will be spared from the nasty virus. Haru seemed to know that I wasn’t feeling well. She was very clingy to me the past few nights – she kept swiping me with her paws and jumped up to sit with me on my chair. Haru is not a clingy cat nor does she like hugs and cuddles. She seems to be very aware of things that are going on in the house. She’s like a little human stuck in a cat’s body.
The worst part of having Covid was the extremely parched throat for the first three days, the nose block which made it hard for me to sleep at night and subsequently loss of smell and taste. I had Covid about four months after my second booster jab. This is how long the protection lasts. With this infection, I may have have immunity for another 3-4 months. Hopefully there will be no second time for me and the rest of us.
Breakfast by chef S ~ pan-toast Jalapeno & cheese bread, fried wallet egg, sweet potatoes, salad and cumin cheese.
We voted on 19 November 2022 and fulfilled our responsibilities as a dutiful citizen. Alycia also voted for the very first time. However, till today there is still no decision made on a new government and it looks like there is a protracted political impasse 🥱
Powerboat racing is a popular sport that involves competition in races. The mark consists of different classes; athletes compete from all over the world. The sport has grown in popularity. Multi-athlete racing teams are formed. Many leagues and organizations govern the sport. These organizations are usually affiliated with the powerboat association of the country.
Races
Powerboat racing involves ocean-going boats competing against one another. There are various powerboat races, including point-to-point and offshore racing. Typically, offshore racing is point-to-point. Offshore powerboat racing is famous for amateurs and professional boaters like Hugh D. Fuller.
Powerboat racing has been around for several centuries. Historically, the sport was popular in Europe during the inter-war years. In Europe, powerboat racing was popular in rivers and lakes. During this time, hydroplanes were powered by Evinrude outboard engines, while later, Johnson, Lockwood, and Elto outboards were used. In the 1960s, powerboat racing became more competitive. As a result, the navigator’s position became increasingly important.
Today, powerboat racing is an international sport with many leagues and competitions. Athletes compete individually or as teams in these competitions. A multi-athlete squad, for example, competes in the F1H2O UIM World Championship. Powerboat racing has a variety of rules and regulations, but the basic principles of the sport are the same.
Classes
Powerboat racing is a water-based motor sport in which boats reach speeds of up to 225 kph. They compete to complete a set course in a timed, competitive manner. While some races focus on speed, others are primarily endurance events. Powerboat racing is a dangerous sport. It is divided into two categories: circuit racing and inshore racing.
There are different rules for each class and other requirements for boats competing in them. For example, ships can only go faster than the speed bracketed for that class. If a vessel is caught breaking the speed bracket, it will be given last-place points and will start the next race in the outside lane. In addition, every boat must be equipped with GPS units to ensure safety.
Costs
Knowing that the costs can add up quickly is essential if you’re planning on competing in powerboat races. For example, boats that compete in the Sarasota 500 are huge and require two trucks to pull them. In addition, the boats typically reach speeds of up to 185 mph. As a result, the cost of the boat, engine, trailer, crew, and entry fees can add up quickly.
A boat can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $750,000, depending on the cockpit type and horsepower. In addition to the boat, you’ll need a high-quality pit crew and good audio equipment. Despite the high initial investment, many powerboat racing teams rely on sponsors to help cover expenses. So spare parts and equipment costs can add up even if you only want to compete in one or two races. Propellers, for example, can cost up to $30,000 each.
Where to watch
If you want to watch powerboat racing, there are many places you can find it. Many teams from across the country compete in multiple racing classes during a two-day series. Many of these races are televised nationally, with some televised. You can also watch the live streaming from the P1 Offshore website.
The Sarasota Boat Races are famous, attracting as many as 50,000 spectators along the beach. However, they’re popular with die-hard fans, who can show up early and take a spot to watch the action. The beach is also packed with picnic tables, colorful umbrellas, and BBQ grills, so protecting the races from an excellent vantage point is easy.
The four Covid virgins in our household finally lost our Covidginity 🤪.
Me, Cass, the mil and Sherilyn have been down with Covid.
I was out at Pavillion Bukit Jalil with Cass on Sunday and felt unusually enervated after walking around the mall for 2 hours. The shopping queen in me usually have no issues walking for hours on end at the mall without feeling tired. I once shopped for 10 hours with my youngest SIL at One Utama and didn’t feel achy or tired a wee bit. But this time, I felt different. By evening after we came back from the mall, all I wanted to do was to shower and sleep.
The next day I woke up with a scratchy throat, mild cough, throbbing head and pain in the eye balls. I knew that I was about to get a flu with fever. I had a hunch that I had Covid. Whenever I have a bad flu, my eye balls would hurt. I did a self-test (nasal swab) and the result turned out negative. Two days later I did another nasal swab test and this time it’s positive.
Your self-test kit could still be negative when you’re actually Covid-positive. This could be due to a low viral load at the onset of the infection. If you have persistent symptoms, do continue performing a self test.
The next day Cass started to show symptoms as well. She did a self test (saliva) and a faint line appeared. It does not matter whether the line on the T’ window is faint or dark. As long as there are double lines on the test kit, you’re positive.
On the same day, the mil started to cough. She was the least suspicious of being infected with Covid as she was feeling well, except for an itchy throat. The next day just as she was about to go swimming, I told her to do a self test first. And the test turned out positive too! From getting ready to go swimming one moment, she ended up swallowing Paxlovid several hours later as she’s a high-risk individual with comorbidities.
Paxlovid is the latest COVID-19 treatment that’s been all over the news. The drug was granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2021 for anyone ages 12 and older who weighs at least 88 pounds, and is at high risk for severe disease.
Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized.
Paxlovid is only available at selected government and private healthcare facilities. The hubs managed to get Paxlovid from BP Specialist Centre @ Taman Megah, PJ. The drugs are given free by the government, however, hubs had to pay for doctor fees as he got it from a private hospital.
Paxlovid must be taken within five days of developing symptoms (6 tablets a day). Like all antivirals, Paxlovid works best early in the course of an illness—in this case, within the first five days of symptom onset. And for this reason, hubs had to drop everything that he was doing to rush to the hospital to grab hold of Paxlovid.
And finally, five days later, the darn virus got the better of Sherilyn. Sherilyn who has an on-going SPM Trials to sit for will have to skip school next week. There’s another classmate who is also down with Covid. She and this classmate would have to sit for the remaining papers on other dates when they are well enough to return to school.
Today is my 7th day and I lost my olfaction partially 😩. Everything that I eat is tasteless and I could barely smell anything, except for strong smelling things like essential oils. Besides, I also had quite a bad throat on the first two days, blocked nose for three days, chills and a low-grade fever for 1.5 days. It’s not as bad as I had thought but would never want to get Covid again. What I really want right now is my sense of smell and taste again 🙏
On the same day that I tested positive for Covid, my papa in Ipoh also tested positive! My poor mum who has weak lungs and asthma has to take care of papa while fearing that she would also get infected.
Covid is far from being over and removed from the surfaced of the earth. It’s getting even more forceful with continuous mutations and new variants. Very soon, if you’re the rare one who hasn’t gotten Covid before, you’ll be labeled as someone who lives in a cave, far away from civilization 😬
Alycia’s bosses who are ever so generous with their staff gifted us a loaf of lemon thyme cake and Jalapeno cheese loaf from their cafe to cheer us up when Alycia told her bosses that we’re down with Covid. I super love the lemon thyme cake as it’s rich in flavors and most importantly, not overly sweet.
Cass’ final exam for 2022 was finally over yesterday after 2 long weeks. The next day we went to the skating rink at Sunway Pyramid to get her new figure skates.
I thought that the skates only cost RM850 but they’re actually RM950 and they’re the cheapest pair. And it didn’t stop at the skates. She had to get a pair of blades protector and fluffy skates covers which cost RM55 per accessory. The total damage was over RM1,000!
The skates can only be worn up to a certain level and Cass would need more advanced skates that costs over RM2,000 a pair for competitive skating! 😲
And if Cass is into competitive figure skating, she would need costumes and more accessories. The costliest part would be the skating lessons and time on ice. It would cost at least RM1k a month if she took the competitive skating route and Cass is 100% certain that this is the route that she wants to take 😵.
I am definitely not in agreement with Cass’ decision, mainly because of the cost and also the time that she would need to spend at the skating rink. For a beginner competitive skater, she needs to attend a minimum of two hourly lessons twice a week and another minimum 2 hours of self practise per week at the skating rink.
I cannot imagine myself sending Cass to Pavillion Bukit Jalil or Sunway Pyramid twice – thrice a week after she comes home from school at 4 pm. By the time we reach home, it would be way past my bedtime.
Sangeetha, a Malaysian competitive figure skater who’s 14 (Cass’ age) starts her day at 4am thrice a week. Her dad sends her to Sunway Pyramid to practise at 6am after which she goes to school. She’s currently ranked 8th in Asia.
I am definitely not ready to be doing this. NO way! 🤪
Trying out her new skates @ Sunway PyramidCostly figure skates on display at the skates shop.
While Cass had a 2-hour skating session, I walked around Sunway Pyramid, trying to find Wok Hey to get take-out for dinner. We tried the fried rice and fried ramen from Wok Hey once when Alycia bought them for us and everyone liked it.
Wok Hey is a fast-casual, quick, takeaway kiosk concept inspired by Cantonese-style cooking and traditional stir-fry staples in a box that was introduced as Singapore’s finest Asian stir-fry cuisine. With the title of “Singapore’s Best Fried Rice”, Wok Hey has earned the hearts of Singaporeans and now Malaysians.
I had no idea where Wok Hey is as Sunway Pyramid is very huge, with an old wing and new wing. I didn’t manage to use the electronic directory as there were long queues at every directory. So I Whatsapped Alycia to ask her where the stall is but Alycia was working and only replied me many hours later. By the time she Whatsapped me, I had already found the stall and it’s located just a floor above the skating rink! So near yet so far and I wasted 2 hours walking around the mall looking for it 🤣. But it’s ok, it was a great way to exercise and I chalked up over 10k steps just walking at the mall.
After getting takeout from Wok Hey, we segued into Taco Bell as Cass wanted to try it after reading so much about this famous fast food chain.
Great fried rice and fried ramen at affordable prices. We were never disappointed with the food from Wok Hey.
The next day, I took Cass to Pavillion Bukit Jalil for her figure skating lesson. While she skated for 2 hours, I walked around the mall for 2 hours, with nothing in mind to buy and chalked up another 10k steps just at the mall. I cannot imagine myself doing this every Saturday and Sunday for the next few years 😳
With a big box of old photo albums that hubs carted back from his office, I can’t help but to flip through them. I love going through old photos and videos and reminisce about the thrilling days of yesteryears.
With the advent of better quality phone cameras, I stopped using my Nikon camera and have stopped getting photos printed out at the photo shop. Since I’m paying Google every month, I have more than sufficient space in my Google Photos to store all my photos.
But nothing beats going through physical photos of yesteryears.
For those of you around my age, I’m sure this Smash Hits Yearbook evokes happy memories. This is the book that stans of singers and actors looked forward to get a copy each year. Jam packed with colorful posters, interviews and much more info on our favorite idols, this used to be my favorite book of all times during my teenage years.1989 ~ 16-year old me with Shin Seok Kyo, a Korean hockey player who came to Ipoh for a hockey match. I googled Shin Seok Kyo and found out that he’s now South Korea’s head of hockey coach. WOW, I’m star-struck 😆1989 ~ the best year of my life. It was the year that I went on the most camping trips, including a 10-day Wilderness Adventure Camp (similar to Outward Bound School) in Lumut.Circa 1989 (16yo) ~ camping trip in Pulau Kapas, Terengganu. During this trip, we thought we were going to get abducted by pirates coz the teacher who organized the trip spotted a boat through his binoculars and the boat was coming towards the beach where we were camping. That was around midnight. We all went into hiding and were scared shit. Luckily the boat detoured and we slowly came out of hiding.1989 ~ camping trip in Pulau Kapas with my besties, Jo and Jennifer Tai. Till today, we’re still good friends though we’re living in different continents. They’re both living in the US of States. Top pic – we met Ulrich Keller, a solo camper from Germany in Pulau Kapas and became good friends throughout our camping trip. He even taught us some simple German words. We corresponded by snail mail with each other for a while after the trip and then lost contact with each other forever.Obstacle course during my Wilderness Adventure Camp in Lumut.Circa 2001 (28YO) ~ with my erstwhile boss, some big shot Dato’.
Today I’m going to show you guys the face behind this blog. The face that’s been hiding behind a veil for the past 15 years 😜.
Hubs has been spring-cleaning his office to free up space and lugged back boxes of old photo albums that were kept in his office for decades. I found lots of old photos of myself from my own babyhood through my pre-baby days. Going through those old photos sure brought back lots of happy memories. How I miss those good old days.
Though corporate life was super stressful, but hey I enjoyed the camaraderie with my colleagues. What I really miss the most are those big fat paychecks. Gone are the days when I could buy any of my whims without batting an eyelid.
I bought this Salvatore Ferragamo handbag during my heydays in the early 2000s. I had totally forgotten about this bag until I found it by accident when I was sifting through some old stuff. This bag cost over RM3k at that time. Though the bag is 20 years old now (older than my eldest daughter!), it still looks good. I polished the leather with a dab of Melaleuca’s leather polish and it’s now almost good as new.
20 years old Salvatore Ferragamo bag but still looking good, except for some scratches on the metal buckle.
I also found this LeSportSac tote bag together with the Ferragamo bag.
This LeSportSac bag still looks 99% brand new, though about 15 years old.
Now I have two ‘new’ bags to alternate with the old ones 😬
And now, the moment that some of you have been waiting for, tadaaaa…
Me in my Renong uniform, which we had to wear every Monday. I was about 28 years old then and looking so young, sans the wrinkles, crow’s feet and thinning hair! Back then I was a PA to a Dato’ in the conglomerate. Occasionally, I had to be the relief PA to Tan Sri Halim when he came over to our office to sign documents.In my office. Check out the dino-age desktop PC and the blue Nokia mobile phone 🤭. Also check out the charging Blackberry phone on the topmost photo. In those days, it was swanky to be holding a Blackberry. That phone was provided for by the company while the Nokia was my personal. I also carried a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and an executive brief. Those were the days when I had to carry so many electronic gadgets around, even when I went on leave as my boss would call me to ask me things even during my rest days and holidays.
